some veggie recipes for you

I thought I would post some recipes while I’m sorting through all of the thoughts in my head. So before you cringe at the ingredients, just know that they’re very tasty and I’ve tried them out J

I started “juicing” last week which, being without a juicer, has proved to be very interesting. If you have a juicer, Congrats – you’re ahead of the game. If you’re like me and just have a blender, the process will be a bit more hands-on – just make sure you have a mesh strainer and you’re good to go.

I got these juice recipes from a health magazine – so here they are (and no, I didn't name them):

"Power Gulp" – don’t let the green color gross you out, it’s actually really good.

1 cup sliced kale (from about 3 large leaves) --> I just used three large leaves.
1 cup of seedless green grapes --> Publix was out of them, so I used 2 Kiwis. The kiwi’s give it a very acidic kick – so if you can go with the grapes, use the grapes. If you’re sick and need some Vitamin C – go with the kiwi.  
1 English cucumber, thickly sliced
1 small Granny Smith Apple, chopped and cored.
1/2 cup of water.
**I added a large handful of baby spinach too**

Blend, strain, and thin with additional water if you need to. It says it makes 2 cups of juice, you can refrigerate it for up to 2 days, shake before drinking.

Nutritional Info: 1 cup: 110 Calories, Fat 0.6g, Protein 3g, Carbs 27g, Sugars 18g, Fiber 3g, Iron 1mg, Sodium 19mg, Calcium 77mg.

"Detox" – if you’re not a fan of beets, you probably won’t like this, but it is a great detox juice. I drank it in small doses throughout my day, which made it much more palatable.

2 tablespoons of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped (1/2 ounce) --> I used 3.
1 medium beet (8 ounces) scrubbed and coursely chopped
4 medium carrots (8 ounces), scrubbed and sliced.
1 medium apple (8 ounces), cored and cubed
1 cup of water.

Blend, Strain, thin with water if you need to. Makes 2 cups, refrigerate for up to 2 days, shake before serving.

Nutritional Info: 1 Cup: 155 Calories, Fat 0.7g, Protein 3g, Carbs 37g, Sugars 25g, Fiber 8g, Iron 1mg, Sodium 168mg, Calcium 62mg.

Kale “Chips”

I had heard about kale chips that you could purchase in the store, but I never thought about making them until tonight. I tossed some in with some other veggies I was going to roast, and they turned out delightful. If you can’t tell, Kale has become a relatively new veggie on my menu and I’m really loving how versatile it can be.

Preheat your oven to 425F. You’ll want a a roll-pan or cookie sheet.

Wash your kale in some cold water and shake off the excess water, not drying them completely.  Cut it straight down the middle, then sideways down the leaves into bite-size pieces.

Take some fresh garlic cloves and chop them into fine pieces. I’ll let you judge how much you want, I love garlic so I’m hardly objective when it comes to the amount.

Toss the kale, garlic, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, salt and pepper together in a closed Tupperware container with a little bit of olive oil. Spread it on the roll-pan and cook for about 20 minutes.

You’ll get a crispy snack that’s great on its own, or a great addition to a main dish – like some salmon or a hamburger.

Roasted Root Veggies

If you want a great side dish to compliment baked chicken or some tilapia, you can follow the above recipe with a few tweaks.

 Take 1-2 sweet potatoes, scrubbed and chopped into thick pieces. Scrub 2-3 beets, peeling off the “hairy” parts and chop into pieces tinier than the potatoes. Toss in the same ingredients and spread on a roll pain. Roast for 35-45 minutes on 425F until the veggies are soft on the inside and a bit crispy on the outside.

Beets have a lovely color but one that can stain a nice shirt – so wear an apron or cook in a bum shirt – you’ve been warned J

From my kitchen to yours –

<3 a